Willa B Awesome guts out nose decision in Gold Rush Day's Melair

"I've got a flak jacket on and a bandage underneath. The first one I rode

back, I had the bandage too tight and I couldn't breathe. Thank goodness I found

out (about it being too tight), before I rode the other one. The doctor said to

try to keep the ribs so they don't move. The first horse I worked when I came

back, I actually felt my ribs move. That's when I adjusted the bandage a little

higher."

Running for Phil Daniels, Patsy London, John Winters and Terry Lovingier,

Willa B Awesome gave her rider a nice welcome-back win. She was sent off the even-money favorite in the race, which was one

of eight stakes on the Gold Rush program, and just got the best of her rival in

a final time of 1:53 1/5 for 1 1/8 miles over Hollywood's Cushion Track.

"I thought she was going to win easy on the turn, but you have to think about

it, we were giving eight pounds (124-116) to the other filly (Starry Skies),"

Solis said. "I know that was the first time the other filly was stretching out.

I was concerned right after the race because I didn't know if she won or not.

Now we have to get together with the partnership to see where we're going from

this point. We'll either give her the break that we had planned or we'll try for

the (Grade 2) Hollywood Oaks (on June 23)."

Willa B Awesome added a fourth stakes win to her resume when taking the Melair and recorded her second straight black-type victory after posting a nose

score in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on March 31. The chestnut miss also

captured the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes this season and as a juvenile triumphed

in the Barretts Debutante Stakes. She boasts five stakes placings, and

Saturday's win improved her career record to read 13-5-3-2, $593,896.

"I was always confident about the distance with this family," Barba said of

stretching Unusual Heatwave past a mile for the first time in the Snow Chief. "I

know the family well and believe me, they're not sprinters. He's just done

things a little backwards. He's a May foal and he's just coming around now. I

was a little worried, because I thought we were a little too far back. But I

know we had the rider of the day and the turn of foot is there and he seems to

use it when he's not pressured."

Unusual Heatwave, campaigned by Ellen & Peter Johnson Sr. and Teresa

McWilliams, was fourth by just 1 3/4 lengths when making his stakes debut in the

Pasadena Stakes last out, and now boasts a 9-2-2-2 line to go along with

$265,262 in career earnings.

"Big race today. He's as good now as he ever has been in his life," Mandella

asserted. "He's been training that way ever since he came back from a minor

injury he had last year. He split the field in his comeback race and since then

he's trained better than ever even though he's a six-year-old. I hope this horse

has a little of The Tin Man in him, keep him this way until he's about eight or

so. That would be all right with me."

Mobilized's record now stands at 22-6-1-6, and the Tiznow winner's share

boosted his earnings to $360,080.

Warren's Jitterbug improved her scorecard to read

24-4-8-4, $355,994, with the B. Thoughtful win.

Also on the Gold Rush card, Live Your Dream Racing Stable's Gatheratthealter

posted a nose win in the $72,800

Grey Memo Stakes to give Bejarano

his second win on the day. The Lucky Pulpit gelding ran seven furlongs in 1:23 3/5

to earn his first stakes credit for trainer Bob Baffert, who claimed the

chestnut in December. Gatheratthealter is now 14-5-2-2, $121,268 lifetime.

The stakes action got underway in the $71,400

Warren's Thoroughbreds Stakes,

which saw Arnold Zetcher's Sparkling Style score by 2 1/2 lengths under Joe Talamo. The Baffert-trained Badge of Silver daughter ran seven furlongs

in 1:23 3/5 to move her record to 4-2-0-0, $81,782. Sparkling Style actually

broke her maiden on Gold Rush Day last year when taking the Alphabet Kisses

Maiden Stakes.

Todd Marshall and Andrew Molasky's homebred Valentine Boy pulled out a 1

1/4-length win in the $62,800 NTRA Stakes to break his maiden. The Cyclotron

chestnut was ridden by Chantal Sutherland in the 6 1/2-furlong event, and the

pair finished up in 1:17 4/5 for trainer Mike Harrington. Valentine was making

his three-year-old debut in this spot after running second by a neck against

maiden rivals last July at Del Mar. He now boasts a 3-1-1-0, $49,700, career

record.

Warren and Gutierrez returned to the winner's circle later in the day when

the owner's homebred Warren's Internet just got up to break her maiden by a nose

in the $61,400

Alphabet Kisses Stakes. Martin Pedroza was aboard the

Excess Danger sophomore filly as she stopped the clock in 1:18 1/5 for 6 1/2

furlongs. Fourth in her career debut going six furlongs at Santa Anita last out,

Warren's Internet has now accumulated $39,360 in career earnings.